What dynasty would reign in Poland - make the best case ?
- Thread starter Grey Wolf
- Start date
Sigismund Vasa was trying to make throne hereditary but his efforts actually weakened the country.
At that time most countries were thougt more like property of the rulling dinasties while the republic meant this is property of citizens (szlachta)
Those who owned tiny farms still were wealthy enough
I guess the system would be a constitutional hereditary monarchy, like in OTL Great Britain.
However, to make the throne hereditary the POD would have to be earlier, before the death of the last Jagiellon (Sigismund II August).
EDIT: Sorry for necroposting.
Indeed; large problem in the XVIII century was the so called "gołota" (derived from polish word goły meaning naked) - nobles not possessing even their own farms, instead living at the cost of rich nobility and selling them their votes which weighted just as much as this of any other noble (constitution of 3rd May took away the right to vote from them and it was definitly a good thing at the time).Those who owned tiny farms still were wealthy enough
I think that a dynasty could be semi-estabilished (like Jagiellons - king is elected, but general consensus is on the son of the previous one) if John Casimir passes his concept of election of new king before the death of the previous one - to avoid the time of interregnum. If it would pass, then propably the next elected king could estabilish dynasty - I guess it would be someone from France (John Casimir died in 1672, if vivente rege election was adopted then he would not abdicate, thus no Michał Wiśnowiecki) or Sobieski descendants. Or, easier, if polish Wazas had any descendants (technically women could also be elected, as was the case with Anna Jagiellonka manouver, who was elected in second election, with Stefan Batory chosen as her husband).
EDIT
Sorry, missed its a necroed thread :/
The last of the Piasts tried to get elected after the Vasa got extinct, of course there is also a chance of the Piasts inter marrying with the Jagellonians but the only remaining Piasts when the Jagellonians got extinct are Silesian Piasts which means that Bohemia will lose Silesia if they get the throne, the Masovian ones got extinct before the Jagellonians did.
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The last legitimate Piast (George William of Liegnitz) died in 1675. So yes, but you have to butterfly some descendants into existence.
Between the elective monarchy and the liberum veto, Poland was a disaster waiting to happen. The crucial change from OTL is that both of those had to be abolished before it was too late. Otherwise it doesn't matter who is king.
For what it's worth, I think the last best chance to make the change was in John Sobieski's reign, especially if he could have lived for an additional 10-15 years.
Or if he died earlier-just after battle of Vienna, in the fame of victor-no one would refuse crown for his son Jakub-IOTL When John Sobieski died actions of Peter the Great and Frederic Augustus of Saxony prevented James Sobieski from taking the crown, (it was first time when son of previous monarch was not elected-PLC was de facto hereditary monarchy long after first free election-for example Vasas were elected because they were descendants of Jagiellon kings in female line), in 1683 Peter was not in position to enforce Poles to not choose James Sobieski for king. Imagine that later James join swedish side in Great Northern War-with polish help Swedes crushed Russia, Peter is defeated, Poland-Lithuania regained teritorries lost in Andruszów Peace in 1667, That victory should give enough prestige for Sobieski family to estabilish new dinasty, and save Poland.
How about the Radziwill-family? Powerful native family with connections to the Habsburgs and (later) the Hohenzollerns. I don't know if they would be considered 'kingly' material, but their western connection could go a long way to forge alliances against the Russians.